Media Diary for BCM110 ＾∇＾

Reflection Post: Is Media Globalization Beneficial Or Harmful?

It is about high time for us to consider the benefits and consequences of media globalization, where it has already reached an unstoppable stage in our society. Many feel that instead of avoiding the consequences of media globalization, we should be enjoying its benefits and making use of them as much as we can.

Communicating internationally has never been easier. With the help of our social platforms, we are able to have a video conversation with our loved one who is on the other side of the globe, or keep in touch with our acquaintances. People are being brought closer together and generally make our lives more convenient as it never has before (Friedman, 2005). Through the worldwide web, endless amounts of information are readily available to us. The internet also helps us in keeping fit with the constant reminders on dieting issues and having a healthy diet, and it even provides a platform for our younger generation to pick up some entrepreneur skills and important life lessons they would not learn through academic lessons.

Despite the benefits, there are also very real consequences. Though it is true that media globalization can cross cultural and language boundaries, this does not always mean that the gap among people has become narrower. When was the last time you really sit down and have a sincere heart to heart talk with your friends? With us over-relying on social networks for communication purposes, many of us have overlooked the need of face to face communication. We are too self-indulge in our lives on social platforms that we are showing lesser concern to the people around us in reality.

Let us take our friends for example. Are we showing them enough concern to notice that they are undergoing dieting and having eating disorders? With the number of people getting eating disorders each year, it won’t be surprising if someone in our social circle is affected by that idea where happiness and success is being linked to thinness. Media is a unique “product” in that it shapes how people think and behave. Media globalization has indeed influenced me to having that kind of mentality, and I am sure many other females are affected too, where we are now more conscious of our food intake and wanting that acceptance from society.

The benefits of media globalization may make it difficult to see these consequences, but the truth is, netizens from around the globe have taken advantage of our social platforms for their own purposes. Identity theft and scamming are two of the many risks we have put ourselves in through online shopping, which is another issue I have raised in this assignment. With online shopping being a norm in today’s world, we have to be aware of the risks we are putting ourselves into whenever we disclose our personal information and credit card number. And in this case, media has divided us into predators and preys. Fraudulent sellers and internet prowlers are waiting patiently for their preys online before they finally “hunt” them down by “smishing” their personal information or cheating their hard-earned income with fraud goods that they are “selling” online. Sadly, with all of us hiding behind the screen, it isn’t easy for us to differentiate between the predators and the preys.

Media globalization is also the reason why people will tend to stereotype a country and its citizens based on the rumours and news they have read about through social platforms. We have also lost that freedom to live life the way we want without fearing of being judged by others.

I find it disturbing that the media keeps referring to my marriage, since I got divorced in 1979. But the media never wants to let me forget.Bianca Jagger

Because of mass media, celebrities and politicians are unable to live a proper life without the interference from paparazzi. It is heart-breaking to see them leading a controlled life instead of living the way they want to, where they have to maintain that certain image everywhere they go to avoid any spreading of rumours and gossips through social networks. And in this case, although all of us are humans, there is this line of separation that separates our lives with theirs.

It is true that media globalization currently does, and will continue having a profound impact on our lives. However, while media globalization does bring about benefits that we are familiarise with, I feel that it is necessary for us to consider its consequences as media globalization continues moving on to a wider scale.

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BCM 110

We are living in a new era where media globalization has reached an unstoppable stage. Though media globalization has benefited us in many ways, it is still important for us to be aware of the consequences associated with it. In this assignment, I'm going to elaborate more on the benefits and consequences of media globalization.